Carpe Noctem: Seize the Night
by Pier J.H. Legere
Summary: Sirius Black died that day. There is nothing to doubt about it, he went through the Veil. That's been established as a fact. However, a few coincidences and some sheer dumb luck- with the aid of some interesting individuals- gives him another chance. A chance to change the outcome of the war, maybe even prevent it altogether! No pairing as of yet, Rated T for language and themes 3
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:  
Hello, dear readers. My name is Pier J.H. Legere, an aspiring student writer with a tendency to overuse the comma. (Thank God for Grammarly :3)**  
 **I have not much else to say, other than to thank you for choosing my fanfic to spend your time reading!**  
 **Happy New Year, and let's get on with the story!**

 ** _Directly from [Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_**

 _Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thoughts of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him in with an invisible line-_

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: He was laughing at her. "Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.

The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand, as Dumbledore turned to the dais too.

It seemed to take Sirius ages to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch…

And Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind  
the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in high wind and then fell back into place.

Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing- Sirius had only fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second…

But Sirius did not appear.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, "SIRIUS!"

* * *

When Sirius opened his eyes again, he was floating. He could still feel Bellatrix's stunning spell course through his body, but he could move again.

"Feeling better?" A voice asked.

Sitting behind Sirius, was a man who looked to be in his 40s. With a tidy appearance and a black suit to match, Sirius knew that he was a man that meant business.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The man raised an eyebrow before speaking. "My name is nothing of importance. In fact, I barely know it myself." He then rose to brush off his pants, before continuing, "You can call me Lord Death."

Sirius paled. "Am I dead, then?"

The man, Lord Death, smiled. "Yes, I suppose you are in a sense. You went through the Veil."

"And what exactly is the Veil?" Sirius asked.

"It's a one-way passage from the realm of the living to that of the dead."

It was with those words that Sirius truly realized what had transpired. He was no longer part of the living. He could no longer participate in the Great War that had already taken many of his friends. He could no longer protect his godson, could no longer be of help to Harry.

The tears fell freely, as Sirius Black held back nothing. For what felt like hours, Sirius cried and cried until his eyes were no longer capable of weeping.

While Sirius was going through an emotional breakdown, Death calmly stirred his tea, savoring the scent. It wasn't uncommon for a soul to be in such as state, he had enough experience dealing with such souls every day of his career.

"I'm going to ask you to follow me si-" Death froze.

Sirius's chest was glowing- no, something inside of his robes was emitting a peculiar light. Death flicked his hand to part the man's robes, to reveal what appeared to be a sphere of sorts. Death realized what it was, and grinned. Things were about to get interesting.

Death used a quick spell to put Sirius to sleep and teleported him to the nearest conference room. It was time for a gathering of minds to discuss what their next course of action would be.

* * *

When Sirius woke, he found himself half-sitting half-reclining in a black leather chair. In front of him was his wand, some un-mailed letters he was about to send before he had… died. There was also the trinket that James had gotten for him on his 19th birthday, a broken Time-Turner. Only it didn't seem to be broken anymore. The shattered core which hadn't moved once for all the years Sirius had it in his possession was now spinning like crazy, flashing and making eerie noises every few seconds.

"Hello Sirius." said a woman. She had on white robes, which seemed to shimmer with energy. If Sirius had to guess, he would say that they were made of silky clouds.

Everyone in the room seemed to give off an aura of power; it took much effort on Sirius's part not to bolt for an escape, which would've been meaningless anyway.

"Before we begin, we would like for you to understand the circumstances of your passing."

From nowhere, a pensieve appeared in front of Sirius.

"When you're ready."

Sirius examined the silvery substance swirling inside of the pensieve. These images he was about to see, would most likely haunt the remainder of his existence, he was sure of that. Then, he plunged his head inside.

 _Sirius was laughing.  
_ _  
The obvious gap in skill between himself and his cousin had him at ease during the duel. Nothing could go wrong; the Bellatrix he knew was too slow on the attacks. He dodges another jet of red light._

 _"Come on, you can do better than that!" Sirius yelled._

Sirius never saw it coming, the consecutive stunner sent immediately after the first. Perhaps if he had known, he would have easily stopped it. But it was too late now, far too late.

The spell hit him squarely in the chest. Sirius could feel the coldness seeping from where he was hit. Unable to move his limbs freely, he stumbled backward- through the archway.

"SIRIUS!" a voice yelled.

The darkness swallowed the man. Sirius was falling, falling into the abyss within the Veil. Where Bellatrix had hit him, there was a faint glow that indicated some magic was at work. Inside Sirius's robes, the broken Time-Turner emitted a green light while the core spun wildly.

"That is enough, do you see what we are trying to show you?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, not really."  
The woman smiled. "You were hit by the Stunning Curse by Bellatrix Lestrange. The curse forced you through the Veil, a direct passageway into the realm of the dead. However-"

Sirius paled at having been confirmed once again of his demise.

"-there is something you should know about the Veil. As you know, once a person goes through the archway, their physical body disappears from the mortal world as their soul is brought to the Underworld-"

The woman levitated the Time-Turner, sending bolts of energy into it.

"Usually, when someone dies, their body is left behind in the realm of the living; all of their physical possessions are left behind, this way. In your case, however, this doesn't apply."

The Time-Turner was now fully functional, as shown by the faint violet light it emitted that filled up the room.

"With this device, the Time-Turner, you will be able to go back in time."

"What? That's impossible. I'm already dead." said Sirius.

"Of course there are several things that you must take into account. First, you will no longer be able to live on as Sirius Orion Black. That man is dead, and any incarnation of the same name that you encounter is by all means, no longer you. When you go back in time, the timeline will be completely altered, and there is even a small chance for the space-time continuum to collapse entirely, which would spiral the universe into a path of destruction. Though the chances for this can be  
reduced significantly once we take the necessary precautions." said the woman.

"We would be able to completely alter your identity, by fusing your magical core with our power, essentially recreating your existence. You may find your new body… confusing at first, but you'd get used to it. But as I said earlier, once you do this, you would no longer be Sirius. You'd have to take on a new name, a new identity, and we would send you back to where you are most needed." another man said.

"When would that be?" asked Sirius.

"A few months before Harry Potter is first introduced to the rest of the magical world."

"Why then?"

The woman gave Sirius a smile. "We know how you have lived your life, Sirius. Your rebellious years as a teenager, your work as an Auror, the betrayal of one of your best friends. You deserve it. Plus, this is one of the rarest times ever that a loophole is created in the workings of death, a loophole which allows for you to be sent back in time. Frankly, we wish to expand our knowledge by using your endeavors as a research of sorts."

Sirius was shocked, so much that he almost lost the ability to speak. He would be able to go back, to see his godson again, and to participate in the war that took many of his loved ones away from him. He only had to ask.

"You would be giving up much, and we cannot guarantee that this would work. But if given the chance, would you do it?"  
No longer would Sirius be… well, Sirius. If the woman's words were true, he would have to take on a new name, a new identity when approaching Harry. "Does this mean I'll have to re-attend Hogwarts?"

"Indeed. Though I imagine this to be a good thing."

After a long silence, with Sirius struggling with his thoughts, he finally spoke up. "I'll do it."

"EXCELLENT!" A boisterous man cried. "I knew you had it in you, lad! After all, you ARE in MY House."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you ARE a GRYFFINDOR, aren't you?" the man bellowed.

"Are you, Go- Godric Gryffindor?" Sirius asked.

"The one and only!" Godric grinned.

The woman in white shook her head. "Forgive me, we haven't even introduced ourselves." She straightened her back and gave off her most radiant smile. "I am Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the Founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Th- that's impossible Hogwarts was founded centuries ago... How are- you're not gods, are you?"

At this, the people in the room all shared a laugh. This coming from beings exerting divine levels of power, the atmosphere of the room elevated.

"No, we're not gods. Not all of us anyway. Here, let me introduce you." said Rowena.

Starting from the right, Rowena called the names of those present. Rowena Ravenclaw, herself, Salazar Slytherin, Merlin the Prince of Enchanters, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, Morgana le Fay (surprisingly having made up with her mortal enemy Merlin), Circe, and Herpo the Foul.

"The gods bestowed upon us, the right to reside in the realm between the living and the dead, due to our feats and magical ability. We…. define the laws of magic, you could say. Our knowledge and constant research allow for magic to constantly grow."

"Wait, you said that not 'all' of you are gods. Does that mean…"

"I'm somewhat of a goddess. Though I was a human once," said Circe,

"Gotcha."

"Well, we'll need to start discussing the specifics. As I said earlier, your Time-Turner is set to take you back to a few months before Harry Potter, your godson receives his letter for Hogwarts. What are your plans?"

"Plans?"

Rowena sighed. "You'll need things to be better than they were before, right? We'll need for you to be cunning, to plan your every move and their consequences… You know what that means, right?" she asked, her face gleaming with what seemed to be excitement. This made Sirius gulp, worry etched on his face.

"Wha-"

"Classes. Loads and loads of classes."

"Shit."

Rowena slapped him, Helga laughed, and Godric grinned. Salazar merely shook his head at the profanity uttered from the mouth of a pureblood.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello again, my super awesome and sexy viewers! Just to be clear, this Author's Note will only be for while Sirius Black is receiving an education on the conduct he will have to maintain while in his reincarnated form! I'd like to take a moment to summarize the plot up to now- just so that we're all on the same page! Now, I promise you, I'll be sure to try and get better at presenting the plot without the need for a summarization from now on... D:**

 **1\. Sirius Black is hit with a Stunning Curse by Bellatrix Lestrange.**  
 **2\. Said Stunning Curse manages to partially activate a broken Time-Turner that Black received from James Potter (Harry's father).**  
 **3\. 'The Veil' sends Sirius Black to the Underworld. Then Sirius meets death. Literally.**  
 **4\. Death finds the partially activated Time-Turner and takes Sirius to a gathering of really important people! (See the actual story for full list excluding Death)**  
 **5\. Sirius is informed that he can go back in time, allowing for him to get a second chance at life.**  
 **6\. Sirius is informed that he can no longer be Sirius Black, and will have to take a new identity.**  
 **7\. Rowena Ravenclaw drags Sirius Black to her torture** **chamb- classroom to teach him how to properly adjust in the past.**  
 **8\. Sirius is about to be de-aged, so I'd better get ba-**

* * *

"So what will you do when you go to Number 4, Privet Drive?" asked Rowena.

"I will not attempt to make direct contact with Harry Potter until I have established myself as a new neighbor to his legal guardians," replied Sirius.

"How will you achieve this position?"

"I will buy a nearby house and create an illusion of a wealthy middle-aged man who has a single son- me."

"Excellent. Now, what did I tell you about Harry Potter?"

"I must not tell him he is a wizard until he receives the information from Hagrid."

"Fantastic." Rowena beamed. Her methods of education had never failed her yet, and they never would.

Sirius did his best not to wince as he massaged his throbbing ass.

Rowena cleared her throat, and said, "We'd best perform the de-aging ritual immediately. The sooner you use that Time-Turner, the sooner we'll be able to gather information through you."


	2. Chapter 2

_"So what will you do when you go to Number 4, Privet Drive?" asked Rowena._

 _"I will not attempt to make direct contact with Harry Potter until I have established myself as a new neighbor to his legal guardians," replied Sirius._

 _"How will you achieve this position?"_

 _"I will buy a nearby house and create an illusion of a wealthy middle-aged man who has a single son- me."_

 _"Excellent. Now, what did I tell you about Harry Potter?"_

 _"I must not tell him he is a wizard until he receives the information from Hagrid."_

 _"Fantastic." Rowena beamed. Her methods of education had never failed her yet, and they never would._

 _Sirius did his best not to wince as he massaged his throbbing ass._

 _Rowena cleared her throat, and said, "We'd best perform the de-aging ritual immediately. The sooner you use that Time-Turner, the sooner we'll be able to gather information through you._

* * *

To say that Sirius was having a shitty day was an understatement.

Sirius was having a REALLY shitty day.

First, he had been stunned- no, killed, by his cousin Bellatrix. Then he had to go to the Underworld and meet Death and his gaggle of geeky geezers. And after he finally managed to get free from them, he was then informed that the ritual for de-aging him would take a couple hours- so he had to wait in the Underworld.

The dead souls that grappled at his robes weren't the most pleasant companions. He compared them to dementors, only without the soul sucking. Well, maybe.

Were dementors the dead souls of people? Really?

"No, they are not." said Rowena, who emerged from the brewery.

"Are you going to keep surprising me like that? That'll get annoying. Fast."

"Shut it. Anyway, the ritual requires a few ingredients that we currently do not possess. Salazar and Godric are up in the mortal realm to fetch them. I suspect Herpo is also with them, may the gods bless the man."

"Wasn't Herpo an evil wizard? I mean, he IS called Herpo the _Foul_ , isn't he?"

Rowena sighed. "That is a very good question. But there is no simple answer for it. Instead, I'd like to ask you a question of my own- what defines a wizard as evil?"

"The practicing of dark magic. The intent to use magic for evil." replied Sirius.

Rowena smiled at the answer. "Aha. The latter one of your answers is where we draw the line. Indeed, we can call those who intend for their magic to cause more harm than good to be evil. However, the first one of your definitions is absolutely wrong. Dark magic in itself cannot be called evil."

"How is that so? All practitioners of it are evil- well, most of them that I know of."

"Merlin was an avid user of Dark magic. _I_ was a user of Dark Magic."

Rowena leaned into Sirius and looked into his eyes, her smile all but gone.

"Lily Potter was a user of Dark magic. That is how she allowed Harry to survive the Killing Curse from Voldemort all those years ago."

Sirius's face darkened. "You lie."

"Ask her yourself." Rowena said, as she vanished.

And then, from the foggy forest surrounding the castle, a trio of people approached. One of them a man with untamable jet black hair with glasses and fine stubble- recently shaved. Another was a woman with red hair and bright green eyes and a bright smile. The last of the trio was a pale man with elegant black hair. Sirius recognized him, but only barely. It had been many years since he had seen his little brother face to face.

"What's up?" said the ghost of James Potter, as the three of them arrived.

Sirius was at a loss for words. He stumbled towards his best friend-

And promptly punched him in his pretty Potter face.

"That hurt."

"THAT, was for dying on me all those years ago. THAT, was for ever being stupid enough to trust Wormtail-"

"-in my defense, we both trusted that git."

"Shut up. I'm not done being angry with you yet."

"I missed you too." and the two Marauders embraced.

Lily and Regulus tried to stifle their laughter. The latter failed, which turned Sirius's attention towards him.

"Brother. It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has. How are you?"

"Bit of a strange question, considering we're dead."

"Well, you won't be dead for long. I want you to tell us all about it. Life after our deaths."

And so Sirius told them. He told them everything he knew from stories he had heard from Harry, or from the Daily Prophet. There were tears. (Lily.) There were crude jokes. (James- and Regulus, occasionally.) All three of them were surprised to hear of Sirius's long and terrible imprisonment in Azkaban, James was especially furious.

"That slimy little shit! If I could have 5 minutes with him…"

"So you could snog him? I could get you two a broom closet…"

Sirius's joke worked. They all shared a laugh.

"Hey, I was wondering. How did Regulus find you two? I mean, obviously, you weren't acquainted while you were still alive."

"About that… About a month after we died, I sort of ran into him. Seriously thought he was you, at first."

"Of course you seriously thought he was Sirius. I am Sirius. Very serious about being Sirius."

"You're not being serious about this at all, are you?"

"Of course I'm being Sirius. I'm always Sirius."

"Shut up. Anyways, we had a long talk. He's my new death buddy. Unofficially a Dead-Marauder."

"What the fuck is a Dead-Marauder."

Just then, Lily shoved James to the side. "This isn't the point of us being here. How much did Rowena tell you? About me and the use of… you know what I mean."

"Well, she told me that you were a practitioner of Dark magic. That it was Dark magic that allowed for Harry to reflect the Killing Curse at that young age." Sirius replied.

"She's right. The spell, well spells, I used were made by combining the spells to create a Horcrux and to rebound and repel any spell seeking to harm Harry. This includes the use of blood magic, wards, and anything else I could muster up." Lily gave a sigh. "It also meant that Harry had to be sent to my sister for the blood magic part of the ritual to activate."

"A Horcrux?" Sirius paled. "Lily, that is the darkest kind of magic. It involves MURDER. There is a reason why it's even rare to find in the Black library! Who had to die to save Harry? WHO?" But Sirius already knew the answer.

Lily gave a bitter smile. "Me, you dolt. Voldemort may have cast the Killing Curse, but it was my life that I willingly gave to complete the ritual. Harry is now officially one of Voldemort's and my own Horcruxes. A bit of a sick bond, don't you think?"

Just then, Rowena appeared to inform them of the rituals' near completion. "Wrap it up, guys. Sirius here isn't going to be here for a while so be sure to make your farewells matter."

"We don't have nearly enough time, Sirius." James clasped his friend's hand. "As much as I'd like to exchange pleasantries and drink tea all day, you have a job to do." A single tear escape Prongs. "You have to pr- you have to protect my son. My Harry. Tell him I love him. Tell him I'm sorry."

Lily was up next. She put a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder and grasped Sirius's with the other. "You have to be strong, Padfoot. Harry is going to need all the help he can get if he wants to both expel the Horcrux inside of him and also defeat Voldemort. Be his anchor when he is lost. Be his shield when he is in danger. Be the parent that neither James nor I ever got to be." And Lily Potter wept, right alongside her husband.

James spoke up once more. "The Potter Vault. We never got around to establishing his inheritance at Gringotts. I know that you're already filthy rich enough, but we want Harry to know that his parents left him something more than just money. Inside the vault, there are heirlooms, photographs, keys to forgotten houses and maps to concealed ones. My family may not have been the wealthiest family in Britain but we sure did have a lot of stuff in that vault. Make sure that Harry gets it. That ONLY Harry gets it."

"Speaking of inheritance. We need to talk, Sirius." Regulus said, gently pulling James away.

"Don't. I don't want to hear about the Black family anymore. It's given me nothing but grief and loss."

"We're not going to. I want you to do something else, something that you'll also need from me." Regulus produced a ring from his pocket. More specifically, the signet ring of the Black family. "When I died. I fully expected the Black family to have been eradicated. All of our cousins, we have either killed off, disowned, or married away to other families." Regulus made a sad face. "Yes, I even thought that you wouldn't make it. That is why I brought it with me when Kreacher and I made the trip." Regulus then grabbed his brother and made him face him. "Listen to me. We both know what a Horcrux is. Voldemort has 7 of them, including Harry. Though I only acquired this information after attempting to steal one, it is vital to understanding what we're up against."

"7 Horcruxes? Are you mad, or has the world gone insane? Do you mean that he split his own soul 7 times?"

"To achieve immortality, that man has destroyed himself. Before you can safely remove Harry's Horcrux, you need to have a better understanding of Horcruxes themselves. I want you to go to Gringotts and speak to a goblin named Ragbolk. He'll tell you everything you need, as long as you present him with one of Voldemort's Horcruxes."

"How the bloody hell am I to know where to find one at all?"

"You'll find that I haven't really died in vain. Go to our ancestral home. Kreacher will have the locket, one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Take it, take it to Gringotts. Ragbolk will help you. And also…" Regulus's expression softened. "Kreacher has nobody but you. Please take care of him, he's had a very troubled life. Don't abuse him. For me, brother. You'll find him much more agreeable if you tell him you're my son."

"You're WHAT?"

"We might not have mentioned that part of the ritual yet," Rowena explained. "We're adopting you as Orion Regulus Black, son of Regulus Arcturus Black and nephew of Sirius Orion Black."

"Did you seriously just mix our two names?"

"Pretty much. The reuse of names is common in your family, no?"

"Point made. Carry on please."

"You'll be acting as if you were the son of your little brother. Ok, that sounds completely wrong, but bear with me. If you bring your signet ring to Gringotts and explain that your father was Regulus Black. They'll run some tests, but we'll tamper with your magical signature so you'll be okay."

"Is that even possible?"

"Mate, I founded Hogwarts. I built the bloody place. You really think that it's the safest place in Britain for nothing? Just relax, and let the magic flow."

"Ok. When do we start?"

"When Godric finishes mixing pixie dust with a solution of maggots."

"Do I want to know the rest of the ritual?"

"Oh, gods no."

"Figured."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, my beautiful readers. This is chapter 2 of Carpe Noctem. There has been almost no incredible advancement in the plot as of yet, though I'll be sure to get out at least 2 chapters in February that mean something important to the plot. I'm planning for each chapter to be around 2000~3000 words long, though that may change depending on the importance and/or the content of the chapter. Stay tuned, there'll be another update relatively soon.**

 **Review and I'll be the happiest man alive 3**


	3. Chapter 3

Sirius- no, Orion grimaced as he approached the house of the Tonks family. Though it had only been a day since he'd seen Nymphadora Tonks, this would be the first time he'd be seeing them as Orion Regulus Black. There was a lot on his agenda, including reinstating Andromeda as a member of the Black family and officially announcing himself as the new Head of House.

Regulus didn't have many friends, for him to have married and have a child of 11 years was almost unbelievable. Orion had to wing it.

Orion knocked twice before the door was opened. A 17-year-old Tonks was the one to greet him.

"Wotcher, there kid. What's it you looking for?"

After all the weirdness of the past day, Orion was glad to find a familiar face, and the personality behind it. Nevertheless, he had to act the part of Orion Regulus Black, stuck up son of a former Death Eater.

"I assume you are Nymphadora Tonks, only daughter of Teddy Tonks and Andromeda Tonks formerly Black?"

"Just Tonks, thanks."

"Understood, Miss Nymphadora. My name is Orion Regulus Black. My father is the cousin of your mother."

"Oh. Gotcha... Just wait here... MOM! I'll be right back- MOM!"

Sirius could've sworn that Tonks's hair was a dark shade of red, not her normal black.

* * *

"Hello, dear. You really are the splitting image of Regulus."

"You are too polite ma'am."

"Please, call me Andy."

"Well, Andy. I am sure you know that my father passed away many years ago?"

"I was aware of that fact. I'm sorry for your lost. The Regulus I knew was a good man."

"He was a Death Eater, the fact does not change that he once served You-Know-Who."

"He made mistakes, we all do." Andromeda leaned forward. "Now, please do tell me, how DID he die?"

"He died in defiance to the Dark Lord. He married a half-blood witch he had been told to eliminate."

"You mean..."

"He died so I came to be. I was too young to remember the circumstances surrounding his demise, but he took out 4 Death Eaters before the Dark Lord killed him himself."

' _He died uncovering the secret to Voldemort's immortality. He died a traitor to everyone he knew.'_

"You must be proud."

"I am here to do my duty, as Sirius Black should have done instead of running off to kill his best friend."

"I heard of his imprisonment. Since he betrayed the Potters, it serves him right to have been sent to Azkaban."

"You know much, dear aunt, but you do not know everything. The only people that Sirius Black betrayed that night were us, his family. He forsake his duties to us in favor of blind vengeance."

"What are you talking about? Peter Pettigrew died that night because of Sirius's betrayal."

"You'll learn the truth of the matter in due time. There is something else, something important I must do."

"What is more important than your uncle when he needs it?"

"The family that needs me more."

Orion brandished his wand and placed the signet ring on his palm. "I, Orion Regulus Black, Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, do hereby reinstate Andromeda Tonks to a member of my House. May she receive the dowry promised to her sisters in tenfold for all the years she spent without." As he uttered the final words, Andromeda's greying hair turned into a gleaming black, the scars she had on her hands for all the times she had failed to cook magically healed themselves. A new twinkle was in her eyes, a sign of the family magic taking place once more inside of her.

Andromeda herself was beyond surprised. "What- what?"

"I'm sorry you were cast out for marrying Mr. Tonks." Orion bowed his head. "It must have been truly painful to have lived all these years with no family than your husband, and wonderful daughter," he said.

"H- How… How did this happen? Why are you doing this for me? How are you even the Head of the Black family? The position was supposed to go to Sirius, who's in Azkaban right now."

"He never claimed the position. The ring has been in Gringotts ever since my grandfather passed away. My… caretaker… told me to seek it out and take it for myself. He also told me to right the wrongs done to any other members of my family, which is why I've sought you out."

A musty book appeared from nowhere, landing on Andromeda's lap. She crumpled up her face at the dusty volume, but her eyes widened when she found out what it is. On her lap was _Black Dowry Vault: Andromeda, Daughter of Walburga_ , emitting a dark vibe. Without her saying anything, the book opened up to its nearest transactions, figures and properties listed themselves at her convenience.

Andromeda let loose a tear. "Te- Teddy… Nymphadora…"

"Don't call me Nymphadora."

Andromeda looked up, a smile bright on her lips. "I can finally pay off our debts. You don't have to study alone for the Auror program Dora… We can afford a tutor, no hundreds of tutors… I can get us a house in London, near Diagon Alley… I can buy us a- a-"

"Thank you, Orion," Tonks said, smiling.

"Don't mention it. She should've gotten this money years ago, it's rightfully hers."

"No truly, thank you," Ted said. "I- I always knew she was rich, but… because of me…" There were tears in his eyes. Poverty was one thing to deal with, but poverty shared with someone you loved, someone who left a fortune for love… That was too much for anyone to deal with.

"Is there anything I can do to repay you, Orion? I mean, anything really-"

"Well." Orion cut her off. "I'd like for us to be family again, keep in touch. My father was your cousin, and I want me and Nymphadora here-"

"It's Tonks."

"-Tonks," Orion laughed, "to be the cousins that you and Regulus never got to be."

* * *

Remus Lupin lived in a rather small cottage. He was in a foul mood, having been fired from his 4th job this year. It seemed that his sudden absences every month weren't very approved of by most employers.

Remus carefully put the kettle on before pulling out a used tea bag. His practice of reusing everything that could be reused was his secret to surviving on periods of unemployment.

In his hurry to efficiently use and remove the teabag, he accidentally knocked over an old picture frame. With a sigh, he cast a repairing charm on it before peering into its contents.

It was a picture of him and James, Sirius, and Peter during their 1st year at Hogwarts. Though old, it still perfectly captured their laughing expressions, the happiness of Remus evident in the twinkle of his eyes.

Remus had to fight back the urge to cry. He had seen the picture several hundred times in the decades since it had been taken, but it still hurt him to look at it.

James dead.

Peter dead.

Sirius in Azkaban for betraying the others.

 _'For betraying me...'_

Remus set down the picture and laid his head on the table.

Moony and Padfoot were the last of the Marauders, as half of the group was dead. But Padfoot had betrayed them, by out the Potters to the Dark Lord. Because of Sirius, the once happy band of friends had been reduced to a poor broken man and a traitor imprisoned.

A knocking on the door shook Remus from his thoughts.

"Come in, the door's unlocked!" Remus cast a quick Unlocking charm before the visitor opened the door.

A man, dressed in a black coat with a fedora to match, walked in. He examined the house, a look of curiosity etched on his face. "I see your living quarters are... modest."

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Pardon, would you like some tea?"

"Would love some," The man replied.

Remus quickly tossed the teabag he was planning to use for himself and removed two more from a cupboard. As the water was already at a nice boil, Remus removed two mugs from his dishrack and poured water into them. He then passed the relatively newer of the mugs (the less chipped and scratched) to his guest and set his own on the table to cool.

The man in black, who after taking off his hat revealed himself to be much younger than he first seemed, was looking at the books Remus had stacked in a corner. "'Yoga for the Disturbed'? 'Meditation for Magical Mentalities'?"

"I have a... condition."

"You're a werewolf."

Remus quickly drew his wand and pointed it towards the man- boy. "I'm afraid I must ask you to state your business here, sir. If this is about my registration fee for the Wolfsbane Delivery Service, I canceled my subscription last week and-"

"I'm here for Remus Lupin, the Marauder. Not the werewolf."

Remus lowered his wand. "Explain yourself. I'll have you know I really dislike liars."

The boy dusted himself off, then grabbed his wand. Remus, alarmed, flinched from the sudden movement but the boy then pointed it toward himself. "Let me remove these glamour charms"

After muttering a few spells, the boy's hair grew black and curly, and his face turned from a dark tone to an ivory pale.

Remus froze. His senses all pointed to an impossible answer, one that he desperately wanted to believe was true. "Sirius?!"

* * *

Once Remus was calm enough to talk, Orion quickly settled him on a chair.

"My name is Orion Regulus Black. I am the nephew of your friend, Sirius," he said.

Remus then narrowed his eyes, scrunching together his eyebrows. "What do YOU want, then. Has the Dark Lord left orders to kill me? Is the elimination of the Marauders that important? Or was it Sirius, not wanting any traces of his past left alive?"

"It was neither. My father, Regulus Black, left me instructions to come find you should ever my guardian be unable to care for me."

"Who was your guardian?"

"Sirius Black."

"That's preposterous. He's been in Azkaban for a decade!"

"I spent the better part of a year trying to find you." Orion smashed his fist against the table. "Do you know how frustrating it is trying to get information on a werewolf in hiding when you're a kid? I had to break into someone's house to get your address."

"You have yet to explain what you mean by Sirius Black. We haven't been in touch for a decade, not since he was imprisoned."

" _Falsely_ imprisoned. Do you truly believe him to actually have betrayed you? You were friends for years."

"What I do or do not believe is not important. The Ministry of Magic found him guilty, which is concrete enough for me to accept."

"He was your FRIEND for years. He was a Marauder!" Orion yelled.

Remus narrowed his eyes. "You forget. Peter Pettigrew, another one of my friends, another one of the Marauders, was killed by that very man who went to Azkaban." he snarled. "Even if I ever doubted him giving up the Potters, there are WITNESSES to him murdering Wormtail!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Remus's wand flew out of his hand and landed in the outstretched palm of Orion. Before he could take advantage, however, Lupin slammed his foot into Orion's right thigh. Orion stumbled backward, dropping Remus's wand. With incredible reflexes, the werewolf snatched up his wand and pointed it towards Orion.

"PATRIFICUS-"

"BOMBARDA!" A bright light with a deafening crack was the last thing Remus saw before everything went black.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I know that I was supposed to update faster. Any excuse that's acceptable enough? No, not really.**

 **Now, there may be questions has to what happened after Sirius, no, Orion left the Underworld. Well, those questions will be answered as the plot develops, as they are crucial to the formation of the plot. (It's not because I have yet to think of what the hell to write for that part!)**

 **I love the cliffhanger potential for the chapters to come. Haha xD**


	4. Chapter 4

_"You have yet to explain what you mean by Sirius Black. We haven't been in touch for a decade, not since he was imprisoned."_

 _"_ _Falsely_ _imprisoned. Do you truly believe him to actually have betrayed you? You were friends for years."_

 _"What I do or do not believe is not important. The Ministry of Magic found him guilty, which is concrete enough for me to accept."_

 _"He was your FRIEND for years. He was a Marauder!" Orion yelled._

 _Remus narrowed his eyes. "You forget. Peter Pettigrew, another one of my friends, another one of the Marauders, was killed by that very man who went to Azkaban." he snarled. "Even if I ever doubted him giving up the Potters, there are WITNESSES to him murdering Wormtail!"_

 _"EXPELLIARMUS!"_

 _Remus's wand flew out of his hand and landed in the outstretched palm of Orion. Before he could take advantage, however, Lupin slammed his foot into Orion's right thigh. Orion stumbled backward, dropping Remus's wand. With incredible reflexes, the werewolf snatched up his wand and pointed it towards Orion._

 _"PATRIFICUS-"_

 _"BOMBARDA!" A bright light with a deafening crack was the last thing Remus saw before everything went black._

* * *

When Remus woke up, the boy, Orion, was tending to his injuries. Lupin's foot had done quite the damage, breaking a few bones at least. Remus raised his wand, intent on striking down the uninvited guest when he noticed bandages around his torso and left arm. Orion had dressed Remus's body with a soothing salve after removing all the splinters and other shrapnel, all before taking care of his own wound.

"Awake, are you?" Orion asked.

Remus tensed, expecting another attack.

"Relax. I'm sorry for earlier." Orion stretched, wincing when his makeshift bandages were tugged.

"What exactly happened earlier? I mean, you disarmed me and I kicked you. But after that…"

"I threw a Bombing Charm towards the kitchen table. The explosion knocked you out and did a nasty number on me as well." Orion pointed toward Remus's torso. "I tried to remove as many splinters as I could. You should get it checked out soon."

Orion hesitated before opening his mouth again. "I'm sorry… For attacking you, I mean. You didn't do anything wrong, there was nothing you could've done. But…" Orion cleared his throat. "Have faith in your friend, Lupin. Sirius may have been many things in his youth, but we both know that he was never the type to be a traitor, to join the Dark Lord."

With that, Orion turned to leave. Remus, as if shaken from a trance, rushed forward to stop him.

"What is it you came to me for? Surely it wasn't to just try and prove Sirius's innocence to me. I may be his friend, but why would Regulus send you to me just because of that?"

"It's because he had nobody else," Orion said, sadly. "My father, Regulus, followed the Dark Lord like a lost puppy. By the time he came to his senses, everyone close to him was either dead or dark. Sirius Black remained the only person that Regulus could leave my care to, and Regulus wanted me to stay with him." Orion took in a deep breath. "He also told me to seek out the Marauders, in case Sirius was unable to take care of me, with the times being difficult and our fates being uncertain. But James Potter is dead, Wormtail is a traitor. You are the only one. Remus Lupin, Moony the Marauder."

A single tear slipped across Remus's face, which he quickly wiped away. He cleared his throat, before speaking. "What do you mean by care? I mean, you seem pretty adept at magic already, though it appears that you aren't old enough to attend Hogwarts."

"Father taught me much. So did my previous guardian, Richard."

"Who's he?"

"He is, or was, an old and bitter man, who Regulus left me with before facing off with the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. Richard Greengrass is his full name; he died about 2 years ago. Used to be a dueling master in his youth."

 _'Not exactly a lie.'_ Orion thought. _'Richard was indeed the closest thing to a friend that Regulus had. Only, he was killed by Death Eaters for refusing to join the Dark Lord a decade before Harry ever set foot in Hogwarts.'_

"I'm… sorry for your loss."

"Don't be. I'm sure that he's content enough in the Underworld, battling the many dead duelists."

"So what can _I_ do for _you_?" Remus asked.

Orion smiled, a thin line stretching across his face. "Be my new guardian."

"And what does that entail?"

"Oh, not much. Just formally adopting me and acting as my legal guardian as I go off to Hogwarts."

* * *

Much to Orion's surprise, it didn't take much to convince Remus to comply with the adoption. He would be signing the papers as assumed magical guardian, giving me many privileges over Orion including (but not mainly) the ability to sign the permission slip for him to go to the Hogsmeade weekend visits.

After the signing, Remus headed over to Gringotts to handle the more extensive adoption processes, while Orion decided to take a spin around Diagon Alley, to acquire some of the things he would need for the first year- and also for his rescue of Harry that would be coming up very soon. A mission that Remus knew absolutely nothing about, of course.

"Rune Carving Kits! Basic Elemental Stones! All for just 12 galleons!" A man practically screamed.

Orion flicked a coin towards him, mouthing for him to shut up. The man scowled but pocketed the money.

Browsing through the shops, Orion casually purchased some defensive equipment- mainly charmed accessories to give to Harry and Remus. His recent brush with death had created a fear of losing loved ones to stray spells that could easily be blocked by magical trinkets.

Finally, Orion arrived at Ollivanders.

"Mr. Ollivander sir, is my order ready?"

"Yes, it is, Lord Black." The wandmaker brandished a box from under the counter. Orion quickly handed over the want he had bent lent and picked up his new prize.

"It's as you requested, thirteen inches and made of yew. Interestingly, the thestral tail sample you provided for me worked well as a core, something that you don't quite see every day." Ollivander peered over the countertop, looking into Orion's eyes. "I expect you will use this wand for great and terrible things. I believe you will fulfill your purpose, or die a painful death while wielding this wand."

At Orion's tensed expression, Ollivander laughed.

"Or perhaps not, I'm only a wandmaker after all. That'll be 20 galleons."

Orion paid for his wand, and quietly left the shop. He'd had enough of Ollivander's creepiness to last this lifetime and the next. (If he did get another lifetime.)

Checking his watch, Orion casually stepped into a pub, putting on his hat to disguise his youth.

Searching the room, Orion then scooted next to another person who sported the obvious look to remain incognito. "Hi."

The man visibly tensed. "H- how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Newt Scamander, the writer of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. I was told I could find him here at the _Manticore_."

The man fidgeted away uncomfortably. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Orion scanned the room for any witnesses, before drawing back the other man's hood. "Hello, Newt."

The man, Newt, quickly raised back his hood, scowling. "What'd you go do that for?"

"I said I was looking for you, sir. And by looking for you, I meant now. It's very important that we have a nice and fruitful discussion."

Newt slumped back, taking a swig of his drink. "Go on."

Orion asked the waiter for some firewhisky, careful to conceal his age, and settled himself across from the other man. "First, I'd like to establish some facts. Tell me if what I'm saying is true."

Orion took a sip of his drink. "Your name is Newton Artemis Fido "Newt" Scamander. You are the Magizooligist who wrote the famous _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_."

"Yes, that's me."

"You then married Porpentina Esther Scamander née Goldstein. You have 3 children, all of whom are happily married themselves."

"I believe my biography that came out a few years ago covered that."

"During an accident with Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel and the Elixir of Life, there was an accident. Now, every few years you suddenly magically de-age. Because of this, you haven't been in contact with your wife and children in fear of them despising you-"

Newt slammed the table. His face was shaking with rage and… fear. "How- how do you know that?"

 _'Death told me.'_

"An acquaintance of mine chanced upon that information," Orion replied.

"What do you want from me? Money? Some rare magical creature? Tell me, dammit." said Newt angrily.

Orion sighed. "I want you to enroll in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a teacher. I'm entering there in a few weeks without any backup, at all."

"Backup? Are you there on a mission or something?"

"You-Know-Who isn't dead. I want to be the one to finish him off for good."

Newt scowled. "That dark wizard hasn't been seen since that boy Potter's parents were killed. Even if he isn't dead, he certainly is no longer a threat. Besides, what does that have to do with going to Hogwarts?"

"That boy Potter is also going to Hogwarts. He's going to be a target for the Dark Lord's minions once he sets foot in the damned school. I'll need someone, one of the staff, to help me protect Harry and bring out the supporters and sympathizers of You-Know-Who to finish them off."

"Why not send Potter to Ilvermorny? I'm sure the financial difficulties of transfer won't-"

"Harry's parents wanted for him to go to Hogwarts. I'd like to respect their wishes and care for him like a son."

"Like a son? You seem far older than you appear to be, _sir_."

Orion cursed under his breath. "I want you to solemnly swear not to reveal what I am about to tell you. Swear it on your magic or I will be forced to Obliverate you." Orion raised his wand.

Newt made a move to draw his own wand but was quickly ensnared by Orion's magic. Struggling, Newt growled at Orion. "Let go of me."

"Swear it on your magic."

"No."

"Do it, and I will help you to remove the curse from that accident of all those years ago. You will be able to live with your family once again and grow to a ripe old age with your 'Tina'."

Newt stopped, his eyes widening. "HOW? Even Albus Dumbledore wouldn't do anything for me."

Newt lowered his voice so that it was barely louder than a whisper. "He told me to _enjoy_ my immortality, that old bastard."

Orion slid over a slip of parchment that he had received from Rowena while in the Underworld. "This is a ritual that is made for cleansing a body of all potion effects. While normally, the Elixir of Life cannot be forcibly removed by magic; your case is unique enough to fit the requirements to undergo the ritual."

"And what requirement is that?"

Orion looked up, staring into the eyes of Newt Scamander. "The ritual for removing the Elixir of Life requires a strong desire for mortality and a loathing for everlasting life. The Elixir is extremely potent, but even it cannot suppress the human desire to live life to the fullest."

"And what exactly would I have to do for your help?"

"Listen to my story but tell nobody else of what you have heard. Join me at Hogwarts, so that we may rid the world of the evil known as Voldemort." As Orion said the name, the entire room seemed to become colder.

"Alright, I'm listening."

And so Orion relayed his entire experience of coming back to the past. Everything from being Harry's godfather as Sirius Black, and going back in time to become Orion Black, 'son' of Regulus Black. At the mention of Remus, Newt seemed to smile.

"It's good that you don't seem to hate this Remus. It's very good of him to agree to help you. Werewolves are very misunderstood people, who have simply acquired a very unfortunate disease. My colleagues are still trying to figure out a cure for the werewolves that aren't mere suppression such as the Wolfsbane Potion."

"Remus was one of my best friends when I first attended Hogwarts. How could I hate him? But anyway, you'll get to meet him soon. Anyway, will you help me by taking up the position of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts?"

Newt sighed, rubbing his temple. "I'll do it. I should probably owl the current professor, Silvanus. We're almost the same in age, but he probably respects me enough to hand over the position." Newt's face darkened. "I'll also have to contact Dumbledore. What if he refuses giving me the job, just to spite me?"

"You two came together and took down Grindelwald numerous times. If he refuses you, he'll lose the confidence of many of your own supporters."

"Do NOT mention Grindelwald. He took too much from my life for his imprisonment to ever make me happy."

Newt took a deep sip of his own drink, sighing into his cup. "I used to respect the man that was Albus Dumbledore. He was brilliant while we were devising our plans for one of the many attacks on Grindelwald."

"What caused you two to drift apart? I mean, surely a trifling matter such as the Elixir accident wouldn't tear apart such a memorable friendship, right?"

Newt scrunched up his face. "Normally it wouldn't. It was indeed an accident, as neither of us expected it to ever happen. But what happened after that is the real problem, Orion. He refused to acknowledge that this accident has been the cause of my de-aging. It would put quite the dent in his reputation if word ever leaked out. That's why he refuses to even begin trying to treat me."

Orion nodded. His own opinion on the Headmaster of Hogwarts was turning sour, rather quickly.

The two of them kept drinking until Orion had to go for his appointment with Remus. They would now begin their plans for the new year at Hogwarts. Remus was always academically interested.

* * *

 **A/N: Fanfiction is having some technical difficulties regarding my posting .doc files for a new chapter. I've been thinking of a way around it, and I'm currently editing the document for Chapter 3 of Carpe Noctem for Chapter 4. Whether this will even work is questionable, but I'm crossing my fingers and pressing [Save]... now.**

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, it appears that I can save the document file. I'll try posting a new chapter soon, but I'm going to write extra long due to the fact that this method is much more time consuming than just uploading a .doc file.**

* * *

"The neighborhood is quite nice. It's always quiet, very peaceful here at Privet Drive," the estate agent said.

Orion, (Glamoured to take the appearance of a wealthy old man) nodded. His attention was more on the opposing house of Number 4 than on his own.

After signing the required papers, the agent left and Orion was left to his own devices. After thoroughly checking that no muggles were watching, Orion quickly set up the minimum wards that would prevent anyone from noticing Orion performing magic, or even noticing that he lived there at all.

'Soon, I'll be able to bring Harry over...'

Harry James Potter. The son of his best friend, and Sirius's godson. Even though Orion was no longer technically Padfoot, he wanted to remain as important of a part in Harry's life. All the adventures and horrors that Harry had faced, Orion would be there for him.

A vibration in the air alerted Orion to an oddity happening in the house across from his. Orion quickly turned around to see a young Harry being fiercely scolded by his uncle. The fat walrus of a man was ruthlessly cursing at the young boy of 10, who had his head bowed down in fear.

Orion's eyes narrowed in rage. The blood ward that had been set up near the house was the only thing stopping Orion from striding over there and destroying the Dursleys. Orion closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. As painful as it was to do, his best option didn't entail murdering the lot of them. Rowena taught him that much, at least. Letting Dumbledore know of his nearby residence would do him no good.

After Dursley (The big one) was done berating Harry (and locking him outside of the house), Orion made his move. Removing the glamour charms surrounding him and walking across the street, Orion tossed a pebble to the boy crying into his knees.

Harry looked up. Seeing Orion waving towards him, Harry shook his head.

Orion felt frustrated. "Come on, mate. It's going to rain soon!"

That was a lie. But if he had to do it, Orion was prepared to change the weather to convince Harry to follow him.

Reluctantly, Harry did. Brushing off his knees, the Boy-Who-Lived scrambled away from the house of his relatives and into the arms of Orion.

It was then that Orion realized that Harry wasn't just tired from verbal abuse. There was blood seeping from small bruises and cuts all over Harry's body. The traces of a few footprints were on the white (yet horribly oversized) shirt that Harry was wearing.

"Let's get you patched up at my house, mate."

Harry nodded. But from the look on his face, Orion knew that Harry was too exhausted to do much else.

* * *

"Where are your parents?" Harry asked, as soon as he recovered enough to speak.

For the past half hour, Orion was feeding Harry all sorts of things. From Chinese take-outs to McDonald hamburgers, since he didn't know what Harry liked, he just bought food from every store in a 10-mile radius.

While he hesitated at first, Harry soon dug into everything, too hungry to reconsider eating food from a complete stranger.

Orion just watched, occasionally sipping on his soda. While he felt content with feeding his rather starved godson, he also felt hatred for the people that starved him- namely, his relatives.

 _'I'll have to find a way past those blood wards someday. Those muggles will have to pay dearly for what they did to Harry.'_

"My father is a CEO. He's always out on business, so I'm alone for most of the time."

"Huh? But you're around my age, aren't you?"

Orion nodded. Even though Harry was horribly skinny and small for his age, even he could tell that Orion was as young as himself.

"What is it that's wrong with the Dursleys, anyway? Why are they always so horrible towards you?" Though Orion knew the answer, he wanted to hear it for himself.

Harry looked down at his half-eaten burger. A single tear fell from his right eye, which he quickly wiped away. "Aunt Petunia is my mother's sister. Sometime after I was born, my parents died in a car crash. I think she blames me for my mom dying, which is why she never talks about my parents."

A flash of green light. Orion remembered being told that Harry had seen a flash of green light when his parents were murdered. The excuse that the Dursleys had come up with to hide that fact angered him, but also troubled him deeply. What could he possibly tell Harry that would be of any help?

After they were finished eating, Harry told Orion that he had to go. It was about time for him to prepare dinner for his relatives.

Orion stashed a few candy bars into Harry's large pockets. Harry furiously thanked him.

Just as Harry was about to go, Orion lightly grabbed him.

"Um... Harry. I know that we don't know each other that much, but... If you want, you can come over to my house. Maybe we could hang out?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Why would you hang out with me?"

"You seem like a great guy. I'd really like to be friends with you. This is _very_ sudden, but I really hope you consider it."

Harry smiled. It was a proper smile, showing all of his teeth and some gum. "Th- thank you, Orion."

And then he was gone.

It was a few minutes after that that Orion realized that it was raining. The raindrops slithered down the windows of his new, empty house.

* * *

 **A/N: Ok, please do review- any feedback really does inspire me to write. Love ya~**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: All that you've seen of Orion (Formerly Sirius) is not all that there is to him. 'Sirius' isn't dead.**

-Flashback-

"Do you understand what we are about to do to you?"

"I do."

"Do you understand that the ritual is irreversible? You will remain in this form until the day you die."

"I understand."

"While we will be successful in cutting all ties between you and Sirius Black, ensuring that no peril shall occur from you encountering him, this will ensue some changes, both physical and mental, for you."

"Mental? Explain, please."

"Each of us, the Founders, will be imbuing some shards of our souls within you."

"You want to use me as a vessel, to create a Horcrux of your own?"

"A Horcrux is created when the act of murder has occurred. No, we are simply transferring slivers of our power to you. Your magical ability will not see much change, and neither will your memories. However, Gryffindor's sliver will increase your boldness and battle reflexes. Helga's shard will boost your stamina. She also asks me to tell you not to be too harsh to Kreacher. Salazar has passed upon some of his ambition through his sliver. Whenever you have an objective, his ambition within you will try to find a way to achieve it. And finally, I will give you my wisdom."

"Are you saying that I'll become wiser?"

"I can't do that. Wisdom is earned, not given. My shard will act more as an adviser that will silently push you towards a more reasonable way of thinking. I must say, your rash acts of craziness that you so much enjoyed in your previous life are a thing of the past now."

"I doubt you can change me that much. Anything else I should know?"

"The magic that we are going to use on you will make you somewhat immune to some common poisons. As I said earlier, the ritual is irreversible, which means that the Polyjuice Potion will have a diluted effect on you if one at all. Thank the gods you are not a Metamorphmagus like your cousin, or the ritual would go horribly wrong."

"Thanks for telling me before you strapped me here."

"Oh shut up. Your form as a black dog will be largely unaffected, though I'd advise you not to try and shift anytime soon. Sirius Black is still very much imprisoned, so any connection that you show with him only increases mistrust towards you."

"Speaking of Sirius Black like I'm not is very confusing. By the way, not many people know of my Animagus form. There are few witnesses to my changing that are still alive."

"Shut up, Orion. The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."

"That aphorism makes you sound old and boring."

"I am old, and you can call me boring. The ritual will be starting soon. So make as many jokes as you still can."

"Lady, you can turn me into a kid and make me lose my beautiful facial hair, but you'll never rid me of my humor."

"I like to think otherwise. GODRIC!"

Gryffindor, holding a barrel of what looked to be a weird slimy green substance, carefully walked into the room. Holding a pair of tongs, he gently removed a bluish sphere from the barrel. The sphere glowed with an aura of power, one that only came from-

"Dragons, yes. This is the Cintamani. Only found within a Chinese Fireball that has lived for well over a thousand years. We only have a few of these, so think that it's an honor to be receiving one." Rowena said.

"Aren't they supposed to be able to grant wishes? Why not just wish me to be over with the ritual?"

"That's a myth. Cintamani are just really rare potion ingredients. They are crucial for rituals or brews that require the user to undergo permanent and irreversible change."

"Ok. Now you're officially creeping me out."

At this, Godric laughed. "Don't worry. I've taken my fair share of Cintamani before, and the results are wondrous! I mean, that one time I really needed to get it on with the Nine Muses…"

"GODRIC! He's only a child, behave."

"Ma'am, I'll have you know that I am a fully grown man-"

With a wave of her hand, Sirius fell asleep and Godric's pants caught fire. Godric just laughed.

* * *

When Sirius woke up, Rowena was mixing together what appeared to be lima beans and brains the size of baseballs. He shuddered to imagine what the taste would be like.

Godric was casually mashing together a spoonful of wrackspurt paste and the root of an Asphodel Animus. Together with the lima beans and the monkey brains, they would be creating a stabilizer for all the potions soon to be flowing inside of Sirius.

The said subject was currently making a facial impression that would match the likes of Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape combined.

* * *

October 19th, 1980

 _It was a dark room, with only a few scented candles for light._

 _A woman, dying of an incurable magical disease, lay on the worn mattress in the corner of the small and quite shabby room. Around her, a young man named Peter Pettigrew and the man he had declared as his master, were in deep and troubling conversation… … …_

"You understand what it will take to save your mother, do you not, Wormtail?"

"Ye- Yes milord. I understand well enough, milord. I will give you the address of the Potters as soon as they transfer the position of Secret Keeper to me."

"Good." Voldemort brushed a finger against the forehead of the pale, shivering woman. "Such a shame. To have such rich and powerful friends, but not being able to afford the money to save your own mother… It must be quite… disturbing, for you."

"I- I mean, they are no longer my friends. I live only to serve you, milord." Peter said.

"Of course." Voldemort removed his hand, wiping it on a dishcloth. The small house that Peter had managed to scrape together with the little money he had from doing odd jobs around Knockturn Alley had only 2 rooms and a single mattress to host his ill mother.

It was in one of those shops that Peter had met the Dark Lord.

"Well, Wormtail, I must be going. Do remember that I will not accept any trickery on your part. As soon as I have dealt with the Potter boy, I will be here to heal your mother and not a moment sooner. Do you understand?"

"Yes, milord. Thank you, milord!"

"Good." And with the final word, Voldemort disappeared into the shadows.

All that remained, was the sad sob that escaped the lips of Peter Pettigrew.

* * *

"Orion- or Sirius, if I may, can I ask you a question?" asked Newt Scamander.

"Sure."

"You mentioned that in your previous life, you were in hiding from the Ministry of Magic after you escaped Azkaban. Why didn't you go to your house of Grimmauld Place and properly prepare your capture of Peter Pettigrew instead of immediately setting off for Hogwarts?"

Orion smiled tightly. "Well, let me tell you a bit about Azkaban prisoners. Generally, whenever is imprisoned there, they are planted with a tracker that traces the use of magical teleportation- Apparation, I mean. Generally, it's removed if the convict is proven innocent or serves his full sentence, unless their crime is extremely severe. If I wanted to stop by home, I'd had to go all the way to London before making my way to Scotland."

"You could've taken a broom?"

"Well, back to the earlier point, I couldn't go home. I wasn't completely sure of who resided in the house, so carelessly entering would have been a bad idea. All my brooms are in Grimmauld Place as well."

"The Floo?"

"Even more closely watched by the Ministry. Trying to secretly get from one place to another through that is nigh impossible."

"How would you know all this? Are you sure you're not an actual criminal?"

"I was an Auror. I know this stuff."

"How the bloody hell were you an Auror, with a track record like yours?"

"I pulled the right strings. Plus, I had James helping me out with some of it.

Orion and Newt each were sipping on their own mugs of steaming hot coffee. With Newt being partial to the drink due to his wife's love for it, and Orion enjoying the rather Muggle beverage, they naturally when to a café for their weekly meeting.

"Anyways, anything interesting to tell me? I mean, I still don't know a lot about your own exploits." Orion asked.

Newt took a bite from his bagel and swiftly wiped his mouth. "Well, have you ever seen a Cerberus?"

"Well, no. Is that what they're called, Cerberus?"

"Actually, there's a Greek name for it that I really can't bother pronouncing for you. Anyway, I was in Greece last year, searching for some strange cousin of the centaurs that has supposedly lived for thousands of years, named a Chiron, I believe, when I found a Cerberus being attacked by vultures. After I repelled them, I took in the three-headed dog and raised it for about a month."

"Well, where is it now?"

"I left it with the gamekeeper of Hogwarts, a half-giant named Rubeus Hagrid. I know that he's very good at taking care of magical creatures. Huh, perhaps he'll even take the post of professor at Hogwarts for that position someday."

"Hah. Would you, by any chance, be handling dragon eggs as well?"

"Why yes. I have an egg that's going to be ready for hatching in a few months, why?"

"Oh, no reason."

' _Except for the fact that Hagrid is going to get quite the prize very soon.'_

"Hey, Orion."

"Hmm?"

"When we get to Hogwarts… I want you to have a close eye on a nephew of mine. More like a grand-nephew really. His name is Anthony; he's a really bright boy."

"You can keep an eye on his yourself, can't you? You're coming with me to Hogwarts, after all."

"I'm not on… the best of circumstances with him. His family, the Goldsteins, despise me for leaving Tina those years ago. I daresay he'll forgo Care of Magical Creatures altogether once I begin teaching it."

"Well… I'll try. Keeping an eye on him, I mean."

"Thank you… That's all I ask."

* * *

 _Little Whinging House, the next day_

"Remus."

"Hmm?"

"How do professors get to Hogwarts? I mean, they don't take the Express, do they?"

"No, they usually Floo into the headmaster's office. Of course, this must be prearranged and requires a lot of planning before it happens for the first time. That's why it's so tiring to recruit new professors for the positions, all the preparation that must be done."

"Oh. Why don't I know all of this?"

"Have you ever read Hogwarts, a History?"

"No."

"Exactly."

Orion quickly shot a Stinging Hex that promptly shattered one of the empty glasses that surrounded Lupin.

Ever since the two had officially decided on Orion's guardianship, Lupin had been brought to live with Orion in Little Whinging, Surrey.

"So, out of all the rather interesting locations to set up our little abode, why did you choose a Muggle neighborhood?"

"I heard that there is a wizard boy around my age who lives nearby. I thought it'd be nice to perhaps make a friend before packing off for Hogwarts."

That much was true. As to who the boy was, Remus had not a clue.

"I see. Well, since you're paying for his ridiculously overpriced house, I might as well enjoy it." Remus said. While he had been reluctant to allow for Orion to pay for everything, he had soon grown used to it, even deigning it necessary to indulge in some fine wine every other day 'for his health'.

"Very funny. While I'd hate to ruin your good time, but I must have you remember that we have a guest later."

"I'd never forget. Newt Scamander is hardly a forgettable appointment, right?"

"Alright. I'll be back for lunch." Orion quickly walked out of the house, while Remus was still unpacking.

Initially, Remus hadn't been quite comfortable with the liberties that Orion was indulging in, but he had slowly become accustomed to it, thinking of it as no more than a pureblood trait.

Well, at least Orion WAS a pureblood, as much as he disliked it.

Orion quickly Apparated to the house that he had despised as a child. The source of his own blood purity propaganda. Grimmauld Place was looking as grim and dirty as he remembered, if not more so by the fact that he had actually put an effort into cleaning it before dying in his past life.

Creaking open the door, he peered inside the dimly lit corridor. Dust filled the air, highlighting the fact that the house itself was not very well cared for.

Orion thought it rather ironic that the House Elf that had adored the family so much would be so negligent in actually taking care of the house.

"Kreacher, show yourself." Orion said.

With a faint pop, the droopy and ugly looking elf appeared in front of him.

"Who is this that demands of this elf? Another blood traitor brat looking to upset my poor mistress?"

As Orion was about to reply with a furious and bitter remark, a presence suddenly enveloped him. Orion could hear the voice of Helga Hufflepuff giggling in his hear, as strange as it felt.

Silently, Orion got on his knees, and smiled at Kreacher. "I am the son of Regulus Arcturus Black, son of Orion and Walburga of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black." While his lips moved, and his eyes were fixed on the House Elf, Orion himself was mortified. Not only would he ever openly speak of his parents in this way, he would NEVER associate himself with the aristocratic title of Ancient and Most Noble. Orion had half a mind to cast out the control of Helga when…

Kreacher suddenly fell to his knees. "Young Master is son of Master Regulus! Young Master must not kneel to Kreacher! Kreacher did not know that Young Master had such noble blood!" The elf screamed. Immediately, Kreacher helped Orion up onto his feet, ushering him towards the dining room table.

Before Orion could even understand what was going on, the table was cleaned, and filled with food, the floor was swept and a few candles were lit.

Even more surprisingly, a faint glow could be seen from the Family Tree. It seemed that announcing himself as the son of Regulus, and the enchantments placed upon his own body were enough to brand himself as the trueborn spawn of the Black family.

It also helped that Orion was already pretty familiar with being a Black himself.

He supposed that the recent changes to his own character were due to the shards of power and change inserted into him by the Four Founders. The amount of forethought required for the confrontation with the House Elf he had despised so much could not possibly have been his, as a point.

Orion sighed, leaning into his chair. It would be another very exciting day, with family traditions and political bullshit to go through.

 **A/N: This chapter is a bit of** mess, **because I had to write it on Lunar New Year holidays, and the fact that I wrote a small portion each day. Do please tell me if continuity is ever an issue. As always, reviews inspire me to write more. Peace.**


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